Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-12-13
AN ADVENT SERMON
Delivered Sunday Evening at
the Episcopal Chapel by the
Talented Rector.
Proceedings in Full of the
County Dads at their Meet.
ing Yesterday.
AMONG THE EPIscopALIANs

Rev. VIM. HorsfaiI's sunday sermon.
The services at the Episcopal church
were well attended Sunday evening,
in spite Of the fact that the old eli hapel
Is In us, while the in erior OF the new
ediflce is in process Of completion.
The Rev. Horsfall spoke feellDgly to
his hearers of matters relating To the
approach OF the celebration of the
birth of Christ. We give ~ ynopsis Of
his sermon:
How old art thou?" Genesis, Ch.
XLVII, verse 8. Almost the first thing
we desire to know, concerning thos e
with whom We become acquainted, ,is-
their age. Imperceptibly the ques.
ton arises in the mind and rs gen.
eral thing, IL can be solved with tol.r-
able certainty, for time and life'-
troubles, In most Instances, leave their
indelible marks behind them. While
some grow old prematurely and age
rapidly under continued burden Of
care aud toll or pain. or under undue
indulgence and excess lose the fresh.
ness, the elasticity aud the power of
youth, long before the allotted time Of
youth; others transcend that limit
with uDdimmed eye and unabated
vigor, and there Is no nobler sight
than that Of the aged Christian, stand
ing erect in his declining years, ven
erable, digDified, like some fair monu-
ment OF the past-the last link Of the
chain which connects the busy toilers
Of to-day with the generations that
are gone. Jscob's life was an eventful
one. full OF trouble and clouded with
mapy sorrows. In his esrly man.
hood, an exile from bis fathers house,
lie journeyed alone into Meesspotsmia,
q distance OF 800 miles. For twenty
years he labored in the service of La.
ban; deceived in his first marriage; dir
tressed with the loss Of his beloved
Rachel; filled with grief and shame for
his profiigate children; perplexed with
trouble and beset with famine, he as
compelled In his old age to abandon
the home Of his fathers. for that
strange country, weird land Of the
Nile and the desert, where his long
mourned for Joseph stood near the
throne, the trusted minister Of the
mighty Phsroah. For more than one
hundred years he had lived In Canaan,
fair land Of promise, consecrated by
the touch Of angels feet, on whose
breezy uplands the ancient patriarcb-
had pitched their tented homes; that
holy land, whose hills and rivers real
themselves, in clear light of fancy, far
above the reedy river, fertile plains
and sandy flats of Egypt. his future
home, where, as a distinguished guest
OF the nation, the king had houor.d
him in Royal Audience. We cannot
describe the interview between jacob
and Pharoab, In more simple or better
language than that Of the sacred his.
torian: "And Joseph brought in
Jacob and set him before Pharoab;
and Jacob blessed Pbaroab."
Struck with his venerable appearance,
the king addressed his aged visitor in
the words OF our text, How old art
thou? Birthdays, ,anniversar
les. meetings with those we have moi
seen for years, silently present The
startling question. II Is the solennity
Of memory, reminding Us Of buried
loved ones, withered pleasures, blight
ed hopes. "How old art thou?" Un
less person is thoroughly blind, cal
lous, hardened, the answering qu.s.
tion OF conscience will be: "Yer! how
old? What have you done with the
past2n Each heart throl
changes the date; older, older, older
cries that diminu,ive, sensitive and
wonderfully constructed Instrument
the heart, rs 1t slowly beats the march
Of life. A new responsibility accom-
psnies the arrival OF each pui-aliou
and on its departure new memory II
created. Life and death are slrsng,
mysteries. When we turn our atten
tion to the delicate part Of the human
frame; to the fact that the least jolt o
jar may sever some life sustaining
chord and launch us at once into al
endless eternity; yet oft.nIimes W.
endure through assaults which seen
necessarily fatal. The continuance al
the human race IL prolonged miracle
as wonderful and as iucompreh-nsib ,
as the great planetary system, whuss
poDderous orbs keep thsir majestic,
unvarying motions through th,
boundlees realms OF vast aud measure
less space "How old art thou "
The question suggests that compared
with eternity. our career on earth u
..,u.x a.